SEC Coaching Rankings: Saban stays at the top, Brian Kelly enters top 3
The SEC is loaded with talented individuals. Whether it be players, coaches, training staff or others, the conference is known for being the gold standard in college football. Today, we place the 14 head coaches under a microscope.
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee recently broke down every SEC head coach and ranked them from first to worst.
Below, Roll Tide Wire takes a look at the rankings and the reasoning behind them. There are some that are spot on, while others are just a bit off. At the end of the day, however, it’s all subjective.
Here are how Sallee ranked the 14 head coaches of the SEC.
Nick Saban - Alabama
“Saban not only built a dynasty at Alabama, he maintained one for more than a decade,” writes Sallee. “His success in the era of scholarship limits, massive recruiting budgets, NIL and the transfer portal not only places him atop our rankings, but in the debate as the best coach of all time. He’s 285-69-1 overall, including a 194-27 mark in Tuscaloosa, and established the Tide as the gold standard off the field in the world of recruiting.”
No surprises here. Saban may have missed the College Football Playoffs last season, but finished the year ranked inside the top five and defeated a conference champion in the Sugar Bowl. He will be the top coach until he decides to call it quits.
Kirby Smart - Georgia
“Smart has emulated Saban, his mentor, and learned how to sustain success at an elite level,” writes Sallee. “That’s one of the most difficult goals to accomplish in a sport that is played by young men fresh out of high school. He is 81-15 overall, winning 17 straight, with two conference titles and three appearances in the CFP. The three-time SEC Coach of the Year shows no sign up letting up.”
Kirby Smart has done wonders at Georgia. As Sallee mentions, Smart has emulated Saban and the successes are beginning to roll in. Some would argue that he is the best coach in the conference heading into 2023 and they might have a sound argument.
Brian Kelly - LSU
“Kelly orchestrated one of the most immediate turnarounds in the country last season when he led the Tigers to the SEC West title in his first year in Baton Rouge after moving from Notre Dame,” writes Sallee. “In the process, the 61-year-old Kelly has given Tiger fans hope after a disastrous two-year run following the 2019 CFP national title. Kelly is 273-100-2 all time, which includes a 92-40 record with the Fighting Irish from 2010-21.”
LSU seemed to be a perfect fit for Brian Kelly after all those years spent at Notre Dame. In his first season, he took down Alabama in Death Valley and managed to make an appearance in the SEC Championship. Expectations are high for the Tigers in 2023 and the pressure is on Kelly. I believe No. 3 is a little too high for Kelly, but he certainly deserves a spot in the upper half of the conference.
Lane Kiffin - Ole Miss
“Kiffin took over Ole Miss following the lackluster Matt Luke era and has given Rebel fans hope for the first time since Hugh Freeze roamed the sidelines in Oxford,” writes Sallee. “Kiffin is 23-13 in three years leading the Rebels, which includes a 10-3 mark and No. 11 overall final ranking in 2021. What’s more, he has welcomed the new era of college football and earned the moniker the “portal king” due to his success luring players to town via the transfer portal.”
Lane Kiffin has brought Ole Miss back into national relevancy but hasn’t been able to get over the Alabama hurdle. Winning the SEC West should be Kiffin’s primary goal. When the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams, the Rebels will likely have an opportunity to play in a meaningful postseason game. Kiffin’s more than capable of keeping this team at, or near, the top 10.
Josh Heupel - Tennessee
“Heupel led the Volunteers back into the national conversation in 2022 — so much so that they were ranked No. 1 in the first set of College Football Playoff Rankings,” writes Sallee. “He polished off an 11-2 record with a win in the Orange Bowl, pushing his overall record to 18-8 in two seasons in Knoxville. That followed his success at UCF from 2018-20 when he led the Knights to a 28-8 mark.”
Josh Heupel has wasted no time in proving his coaching abilities in the SEC. Not only was Tennessee once ranked the No. 1 CFP team in 2022, the Vols took down Alabama in Neyland Stadium. That win alone probably secured his job in Knoxville for years to come. I would personally have ranked Heupel inside the top five.
Mark Stoops - Kentucky
“Stoops has brought something to Lexington that not many coaches have accomplished: Consistency,” writes Sallee. “He’s led the once-downtrodden program to seven straight bowl berths with double-digit win seasons in 2018 and 2021. The Wildcats have finished in the final AP Top 25 twice since Stoops took over in 2013 and become one of the most physical teams in the country on an annual basis.”
Stoops has been able to get Kentucky to the upper half of the SEC but falls flat when it comes to taking on Georgia. The Wildcats will continue to be a thorn in the sides of the rest of the SEC East while just missing the elusive SEC championship appearance.
Jimbo Fisher - Texas A&M
“Fisher’s tenure with Texas A&M hasn’t led to national titles, but he is 39-21 and produced a one-loss season in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign,”writes Sallee. “He has eight or more wins in four of his five seasons in College Station following a successful run at Florida State featuring a BCS National Championship in the 2013 season.”
Jimbo Fisher had an electric 2021 season, then followed it up by signing a historical 2022 recruiting class. After failing to qualify for a bowl game last season, Fisher and the Aggies must prove they can still compete in the SEC. If not, there may be a new coach at the helm in College Station before the end of 2023.
Hugh Freeze - Auburn
“Freeze enters his inaugural campaign on the Plains looking to revitalize a program that fell on hard times during the Bryan Harsin debacle,” writes Sallee. “Freeze was 39-25 at Ole Miss from 2012-16 with New Year’s Six bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015. He led Liberty to eight or more wins in each of his four seasons (2019-22) and played a big role in the Flames’ move to Conference USA.”
Hugh Freeze has proven he’s capable of achieving some success in the SEC back when he was the coach at Ole Miss. Now, he joins an Auburn program that needs to be awoken from the bottom of the conference. The roster isn’t the strongest and there’s not much pressure to compete for a championship in 2023. This program brought Freeze in to see what he can do in a couple of seasons. Don’t expect Auburn to impress this season.
Shane Beamer - South Carolina
“Beamer’s second season at South Carolina included a 63-38 win over Tennessee and a 31-30 win over rival Clemson in consecutive weekends. That came after a 7-6 effort in 2021 in his first year as a head coach at any level. He has embraced the transfer portal and molded the program into a reflection of his personality, which goes a long way towards keeping star players in house.”
To end the 2022 season, South Carolina shocked Tennessee and Clemson. The team looks to carry that momentum into 2023, but it all started with buying into Shane Beamer’s plan. I believe he deserves a spot right in the middle of the SEC. The upcoming season will determine whether he should belong in the top or bottom half of the conference.
Sam Pittman - Arkansas
“Pittman is 19-17 with the Razorbacks, which includes bowl appearances in each of his three seasons in Fayetteville. That’s quite an accomplishment for the head hog following the disastrous two-year Chad Morris era. Pittman led the Hogs to a 9-4 record in 2021, which included a No. 21 ranking in the final AP Top 25. Arkansas isn’t a pushover anymore, and Pittman is the primary reason the Hogs are one of the most physical teams in the nation.”
Arkansas is one of the most hit-or-miss teams in the nation. There have been times when the Razorbacks appear poised to win the SEC West, then there have been seasons when the team just doesn’t seem ready to compete. Sam Pittman has been moving in the right direction, but how much longer will it take? I think Pittman’s a little too low on this list, but not far off by much.
Billy Napier - Florida
“Napier posted a lackluster 6-7 record in his first season in Gainesville after taking over for Dan Mullen, and that hasn’t resonated within a fanbase that demands nothing short of division title contention. However, he has been on a recent recruiting tear, giving fans at least some hope. He reeled off double-digit win seasons in his final three years at Louisiana (2019-21), so the potential is there.”
This feels like a fair placement for Napier. Sure, he can recruit well, but his first season in Florida was underwhelming. Gators fans know what’s required to compete with Georgia. After all, this program is just a few seasons removed from playing in the SEC championship.
Eli Drinkwitz - Missouri
“The good news is that Drinkwitz led the Tigers to three straight bowl berths, which included a Gasparilla Bowl appearance after last season. The bad news is that he has never finished above .500 overall and is 3-5 in the conference in each of his last two seasons in Columbia. However, his 12-1 record at Appalachian State in 2019 shows that the ability to win at a high level exists … he just has to find a way to harness that in the toughest conference in the country.”
Drinkwitz has made a couple of splashes on the recruiting trail during his time at Missouri. It’s just a matter of translating that talent to wins. As Sallee mentioned, Drinkwitz has the ability to win. However, getting it done in the SEC can sometimes feel like an impossible task.
Clark Lea - Vanderbilt
“Lea is 7-17 in his two seasons with the Commodores, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a fanbase craving relevancy in the SEC East. However, the ‘Dores went 2-6 in the SEC last year, which included wins over Kentucky and Florida in November. That provided a massive dose of momentum by Vanderbilt standards, which is something that is almost impossible to accomplish for a program widely regarded as one of the most difficult jobs in the country.”
Despite only winning two conference games last season, they were against two quality programs in Florida and Kentucky. Expectations for Lea, or any coach Vanderbilt has had or will have in the future, must be mitigated. However, if you listen to Lea talk about this program, you’d think the Commodores are competing for a national title.
Zach Arnett - Mississippi State
“Arnett was elevated to lead the Bulldogs in December 2022 following the death of legendary offensive guru Mike Leach. The 36-year-old was hired by Leach to run the Bulldogs defense in 2020 following Arnett’s nine-year stint on the San Diego State staff — the last two of which were as the Aztecs’ defensive coordinator. It’s unfair to Arnett to judge his coaching acumen prior to his first year at the helm, and that will likely be the case following the 2023 season due to the circumstances that led to his promotion.”
This is an extremely difficult position to be in. Arnett receives the promotion to head coach to take over for Mike Leach, who tragically died before the end of the 2022 season. A program still in mourning will have to go through an identity change and much more to properly prepare for the 2023 season. Arnett will certainly try his best to get this team rolling, but I don’t think many will blame him if this team fails to find its footing.
